Live music, theater and movie listings for Concord

As it is officially the month of Christmas now, the entertainment calendar is jam-packed with shows that fit that bill. Between holiday concerts and plays, it looks to be a very festive week ahead in Concord.

Most music shows are free, but check with the venue before heading out to see whether there will be a cover charge.

Music

Thursday

-Granite State Revival will be joined by Walker Smith at Penuche’s at 8:30 p.m. for a two-show night. Plus, a Concord Craft Brewing beer tasting and glass give away (while supplies last) will start at 9, so don’t miss out.

Friday

-The Michael Vincent Band will take the stage at Area 23 around 8:30 p.m.

-The seventh annual X-Mas Jamboree at the Grange, part of the Riverhill Grange Concert Series, will get going at 8 p.m. at 32 Horse Hill Road. The night will feature Diamond Joe (Concord’s String-Bandits) and Poirier & Sullivan. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the show will start promptly at 8. There is a $10 suggested donation. And if you’re 21 or older, BYOB!

-The Concord Chorale will celebrate the holiday season with “Behold, I Bring you Glad Tidings,” a presentation of works by Purcell, Buxtehude and Vivaldi with two shows at South Congregational Church at 7 p.m.

The Chorale will be joined by a young and promising group of soloists, including soprano Erin M. Smith, mezzo soprano Kathleen Maysek, tenor Matthew Hennek and baritone Alex Hurd, plus a 17-piece Baroque orchestra with brass. There is also a show on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Advance tickets are $20, $15 for seniors. Students are free. Tickets are also available at Gibson’s Bookstore and Merrimack County Savings Bank, and by calling 463-5504 or at concordchorale.org. At the door, tickets are $20 and $25.

Saturday

-Undercover Band will covertly play a show at Area 23 at about 8:30 p.m.

-Murphy’s Law will play at Pit Road Lounge at 8 p.m. This group pumps out hard rock from the ‘80s and ‘90s.

-On the other side of the coin, Blue Light Rain, the Grateful Dead tribute band, will mellow out at Penuche’s at 9 p.m.

-Granite State of Mind will present a Rolling Stones tribute at NEC Concord at 5:30 p.m. (doors at 5). The free show will feature The Don, Taylor Pearson, eNFolk, Joe Messineo, Will Hatch, Ober and Company, and Dopamine. This one will definitely be popular, so make sure you get there early.

-Laurie Berkner will perform a holiday show at the Capitol Center for the Arts at 11 a.m. The best-selling, award-winning children’s musician has been a longtime fixture on TV’s Nick Jr. and Sprout channels, and her original songs, albums (10 so far), DVDs, music videos and books leave no doubt: Berkner is the uncrowned queen of children’s music and the power behind the progressive “kindie rock” movement (or, at least that’s what the Cap Center’s website declares).

Tickets are $35 to $50 plus fees, or you can get a four-pack for $25 per ticket. Go to ccanh.com or call 225-1111 for more.

-A holiday folk concert will be performed at Concord Community Music School’s recital hall at 7:30 p.m. Celebrated folk duo Susie Burke and David Surette will join with sideman extraordinaire Kent Allyn for an uplifting night of music, interweaving nimble guitar and mandolin playing, masterful bass and piano accompaniment, and heartfelt vocals. Admission is $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 228-1196 or visit ccmusicschool.org.

-The New England Irish Harp Orchestra return to Concord Public Library for a 1:30 p.m. show of delightful Irish music that will put you in a festive mood. The concert will be free, with no prior registration required. It will be held in the library’s auditorium, and it figures to be a popular show, so you’ll want to get there plenty early to make sure you get a spot.

-The talented, popular New Hampshire Gay Men’s Chorus is performing its spectacular 20th anniversary holiday concert series, Celebrating the Holidays, in Concord at 7:30 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church, 79 Clinton St.

For more information and tickets, visit nhgmc.com. Tickets also always available at the door.

Sunday

There will be a concert of seasonal music featuring bells, strings, voices, organ, piano and ukulele at the West Congregational Church at 4 p.m.

The concert is free and open to the public.

Theater

-Everybody’s favorite Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker, will be performed by Turning Pointe Center of Dance at the Concord City Auditorium on Saturday at 2 p.m. The 36th annual family-friendly performance of the traditional holiday show will be directed by Lisa Goff.

If you arrive early, you can take part in a special tea party at noon. The party will include a meet and greet with Clara and other characters, tea and treats, and a raffle ticket for Clara’s tiara.

Tickets for The Nutcracker are $18 (add $10 for the tea party) and can be bought at the studio (371 Pembroke St., Pembroke) or at the door. For more info, call 485-8710 or send an email to TPCD@comcast.net.

-At St. Paul’s School, you can catch an abridged version of the classic ballet – The Nutcracker: Act II – at the school’s Memorial Hall this weekend. Get all the details on page 20.

-Perhaps the most famous Christmas-related stage production that does not involve ballet, A Christmas Carol, will be performed at Hatbox Theatre on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. You know the story, now come and see Hatbox’s adaptation of it.

Tickets are $12, $14 or $17 and can be purchased at hatboxnh.com.

-If you’re interested in the inner workings of a stage production, you’ll want to check out Hatbox Performance Lab: Control Freakout with Greg Parker, this Saturday at 2 p.m.

Working in the tech booth can be maddening, especially with sound, lighting, projection control and stage managers calling cues. In recent shows at Hatbox, they have been exploring the use of Qlab as the sole solution for controlling sound, projections and the lighting board. Come work and learn from tech guru Greg Parker as he demystifies Qlab and teaches the basics to make your “complicated” show simple and easy.

Admission is $10 (free for Hatbox members). Go to hatboxnh.com for more.